Actor Paul Teal, best known for his work on the teen drama “One Tree Hill”, has died. He was 35.
Teal died Friday following a battle with cancer, his agent Susan Tolar Walters confirmed in an emailed statement to USA TODAY on Monday.
“His exceptional talent and kind spirit touched the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” the statement read. “The void he leaves behind will be deeply felt.”
The actor’s fiancée, Emilia Torello, revealed his death in an emotional Instagram post Sunday, calling Teal “the most thoughtful, inspiring, driven, self-disciplined, loving man.”
“Paul, you were my soulmate, my soon-to-be-husband, my rock, and my future,” Torello wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of the couple. “You filled my lungs with laughter, my stomach with butterflies, and my heart with love. You were taken too soon, in a battle that you fought bravely without fail.”
She concluded: “The world is lucky to have even had a moment with Paul Teal, and I am the luckiest person in it, because I got to call you mine. I will love you forever.”
Teal made his “One Tree Hill” debut during the series’ seventh season in 2010, portraying closeted actor Josh Avery, who was cast in a film made by Julian Baker (Austin Nichols) and Alex Dupré (Jana Kramer). Josh later made a sex tape with Alex, which led to an extortion scheme against Julian’s father.